Machine for testing electric lamps



Spt. 1, 1931. A, c. sl-:LE'rzKY MACHINE FOR TESTING ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Jan. 15, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IHN o o lll 3 Sept. 1, 1931. A. 'c. sELETzKY MACHINE FOR TESTING ELECTRIC LAMPS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filedv Jan. l5, 1927 A. c. sELl-:TZKY

MACHINE FOR TESTING ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Jan. 15. 192? s sheets-sheet s Sept. 1, 1931.

Sept. 1, 1931. A. c. sl-:LETZKY 1,821,240

' MACHINE FOR TESTING ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Jan. 15. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 EEE" /ag SPL 1,'1931- A. vc.; sELETzKY 1,821,240

MACHINE FOR TESTING ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Jan. l5.. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 f ing the conveyer-switch.

Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES LPATENT OFFICE ANATOLI SELETZKY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIG-NOR T0 THE W'ESTINGHOUSE COMPANY, OF NEW YORKN. Y.,l A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA MACHINE FOR TESTING ELECTRIC LAMPS' Application med sanary 1s, 1927. serial No. 161,336.

This invention relates to an improved automatic means for testing incandescent electric lamps.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for receiving electric lamps and advancing them and during the advance movement testing the same and finally discharging the lamps with the good lamps separated from the defective or bad lamps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier forelectric lamps and to combine With that carrier a' means for-closing a circuit through the lamps, if the same are good, said circuit-closing means ^being arranged to effect a separation of the good from the bad lamps.

A further object is to provide a testing means for electric lamps combined with a conveyer and to also provide a circuit-controlled means whereby the good and bad lamps may be separated by the conveyer.

With these and other objects in view, the invention is illustrated in the accompanyin` drawings, wherein,-

ig. 1 shows the machine in side elevation.

Fig 2 illustrates the same in top View.

Fig. 3 'shows the machine in central vertical cross-section as thoughviewed on the line 3-3 of Fig-2.l

Fig. 4 illustrates diagrammatically the main parts of the apparatus and the wiring circuits between the several parts. l A

Fig. 5 shows a view of the solenoid and ,the trip device actuated thereby foroperatig. 6 illustrates a portion of the carrier with the lamp clam and contact devices at the periphery the eof,the parts YAbeing' shown in side elevation. i Fig. 7 shows the same in top view. Fig..8 ill strates a cross-sectional detail i Y- through the hub parts and the contacts ar- Fig. 9 shows a vertical sectional detail through the same, and

Fig. 10 illustrates a sectional detail through the outer contact and the ring support and the contact uide.

.Referring to the rawings and particularly Figs.'1, 2 and 3 thereof the numeral '10, designates a base plate on which the various standards and bearings are mounted.

At substantially'the center of the base there'is a vertical bearing-block 11, which sustains the lower end of a vertical carriershaft 12, whose u per end is retained in an anti-friction vbearmg 13, on the under side of a horizontal cross-beam 14. s This cr0ss beam is supported, in this instance, by vertical posts and 16 located at opposite sides of the machine, as best illustrated in- Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The vertical carrier-shaft 412, sustains 8r terial, and may be varied, 1n the dpresentl instance, twelve blocks are em loye Around the periphery of t e ring-plate 18, I provide a series of socket 'plates 21,

each of which is boltedor screwed to "a radially-extending contact pin 22,' which extends horizontally into the ring-plate and has an electrical metallic connection at its inner end with a circular contact plate 23 through a screw 24, as best illustrated in Figs. 6 and-7 of the drawings.

`The circular contact-plate 23, in this infstance, is embedded in the upper horizontal `surface of the insulated ring-plate 18 and extends all the way around the ring-plate. The socket-plates 21 are arranged around the ring-plate in a radial position with respect to the contact-blocks 20 around the hub,'-there being one socket plate for each contact-block.

Adjacent to each socket-plate 21, there is a spring contact arm 25 each of which plained.

The vertical carrier shaft 12, is provided with a beveled gear 30, with which 'a gear 31 on a horizontal shaft 32, meshes. This latter shaft also has a gear 33, which meshes p with and is driven by a gear 34, on a vertical shaft 35, near the vertical side-post Y 16 as clearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Vertical shaft 35, carries a second bevel gear 36, near its lower end which meshes with anl is driven by a gear 37 0n a main drive or pulley shaft 38, and this drive ,v shaft is provided with a pulley 39, inthis jinstance, by which said shaft is driven con- It is thus to be-understood that the horizontal driving shaft, which operates continuously, causes the main earner-shaft 12,

to turn continuously and thereby continuously rotate -the head 17 or'endless carrier and thus move the/series of socket-plates 21 around an endless .circuit or path.

Beneath the continuously-moving head 17 there is provided a camtrack 40 of a continuous ring-shape, and this cam-track is provided with la rise or elevated portion 41.

The yposition of-this cam-track 40is such that the rollers 29 on arms 28 of levers 26, may engage the periphery of the cam Las said rollers, larms* and levers are .carried around with the head and by such engagement, the levers 26 may beV rocked to swing arms 25, downwardly as the rollers move up the cam onto the rise 41 and t0 swing Said 53 With .aq radially-located bracket 27, and arms u wardly again as the rollers move from t e rise down to the lower level of the cam.-

The raising and lowering of the arms 25 therefore takes place during the travel of the arms with the 'head and fora 'portion of each circuit travel, the armsv will be raised whileduring theremainder of the circuit travel said arms will be lowered, as will lpresently be more fully explained.

The cam-track 40-41 may be supported in any suitable way but in the present disclosure, it is held by bracket-arms 42 and 43. l Referring ,now to Flgs. 1, 2, 3, 8, and 10 l of the drawings, it will be noted that the bracket arms 42 sustain a ring-support 44, about the lower part of the hub 19 of the carrier and that through a portion of the inner circumference of this ring-support, there is a lining 45 of insulation,

The ring support is sustained about the traveling contact blocks 20 on the carrier and its purpose is to sustain a plurality of stationary contact plates 46 which have sliding engagement with the movable contact blocks 20 so as to close a circuit through the movable and stationary blocks as the carrier travels.` r

The stationary contact blocks 46, in the form shown, have stems 47 extending horizontally therefrom which stems project through a sleeve 48 of porcelain or equivalent material, while the sleeves are carried by and extend through the ring-support, as illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings.

Around the sleeves, I preferably provide coiled s rings 49 which constantly urge the stems 4 and stationary blocks 46, inwardly against the movable blocks 20 around the carrier hub so that constant contact will be maintained between the stationary blocks 46 and those of the movable blocks 20, that are passing the stationary blocks.

It will thus' be understood that as the carrier turns or travels the movable contacts 20 will successively pass land be engaged by the several stationary contact plates `46 so as to close a circuit between those contacts, provided the article to be tested is perfect as will presently be more fully explained.

The stem 47 of each stationary contact y plate has a wire 50 connected therewith.

lIn addition to the contact plates 46, theI fing-support sustains another stationary contact-plate 51, which latter will also be engaged by the traveling contact plates 20, v

but for a different purpose also as will presently be explained and this contact plate 51 has a wire 52 connected therewith.

l By reference to the diagrammatic view of Fig. 4, andalso to'Fig. 3. of the drawings, it will be noted that' each movable or traveling 'contact-block 20, has a wire connection contact arm 25 at the periphery of the carrier, so that each contact arm 25, has an electrical connection with a coacting traveling contact-block 20. 1

By reference to Figs. 1, 2. andI 4 of the drawings, it will -be noted) that an endless belt 54, is sustained in a plane substantially flush with the plane of the endless series of socket-plates 21 around the periphery of the carrier. -This belt passes around pulleys 55,

56 and 57 and has one stretch or portion 58,

which follows or travels close to the periphery of the endless carrier.

'The stretch or portion 58 of the endless belt forms the working vstretch of the belt in that it passes close to the socket-plates 21 and holds in those sockets the article which is to be tested while the carrier conveys that article past the testing stations.

While in showing the ,utility of the invention, I have elected to represent incandescent electric lamps as an artlcle under test, it is to be understood that the invention may be utilized. to test other electrical devices in quantities where the article is conveyed and a circuit formed therethrough durin its travel so that if the circuit is com eted through lthe article, an indication will be given and-if such circuit is not` formed then certain mechanisms hereinafter to be described will be operated whereby to effect a separation of the perfect from the imperfect articles. f

In this instance,-I show a series of electric lamps 59 which latter have been placed in the socket-plates 21, and then engaged on the outer side by the stretch or portion 58 of the endless belt 54, which holds the lampbases in the sockets and the carrier travels. At the point where the lamps areplaced `in the vsocket plates the center contact arm 25 will/be held up' orin a horizontal position by the rollers 29 engaging'the lower level of the stationary cam track so that when the lamp is placed in the socket 21, the metal socket portion 60 around the lower end of the bulb will have contact through the socket plate 21, pin 22 and circular contact plate 23 while the centerbottom contact 61 of the lamp will have contact with the arm 25.

It should be recalled thatl each socket plate 21 is connected by the post 22 to the circular contact-plate 23 while each arm 25, has `a connection through wire 53 with one of the movable contact plates 20. Therefore when the la'mp is in place to betested, it will close a connection between the arm 25 and ,thel socketfplate 21,",so that .connections `will lup' to that moment have 'beenV completed from j the circular ring-plate 23 on the one s'ideof tact device 62 the lamp to the movable contact block 20 on the other side of the lamp and the next step will be to close .the circuit from the movable contact block 20 through a source of electric current to the said circular ring-plate. 'This/` is effected as follows: i v By referring to the diagrammatic view of Fig. 4, it will be noted that a bru'sh conengages the circular contact late 23 and riait a wir@ e3 leads-"mm1 said rush to a source of current supply. It will also be noted that the wire 50" from the sevv`circuit be closed current supply through the lamp and back' to current supply.

eral stationary contact platesx46 also lea'ds tothe source of current supply.. Therefore when a movable contact bloc 20, passes and. wipes over a stationa 'contact plate `46, a

'om one side of the If the lamp is a good one, the closing of the circuit therethroughwill hause the same .to become illuminated and thereby indicate that the same is good.

By providing several stationary contact plates 46, the lamps are kept burning for a suiciently lon period to cause a defect to show, if any og the same are defective.

The endless belt 54 with its stretch 58 serves as a traveling or endless clamp means to hold the lamps in the socket plates as theyare traveling and being tested, and

while it is not essentiall that this belt be positively driven, I have provided means for drivin the same in that the pulley 55, is-

carrie shaft 35 and the belt is passed around this pulley. In practice, the lpully 55 will be driven at a speed that will cause the belt to travel at the vsame speedthat the socket plates 21 travel.

By reference to ings, it will be noted that an endless conveyer belt 64, is provided at one side of the' machine immediately beneath the periphery of the ring-plate 18 and that this belt travels around pulleys and 66,-the latter beingl carried on a horizontal shaft 67 and driven through bevel gears 68 and 69 from a vertical shaft 70. vThis vertical shaft, (see Flg. 1) carries a bevel gear 71v which meshes with and is driven by agear 72 on the main drive shaft 38.

-Side guide plates 73 are provided at opposite sides of the conveyer belt 64 to prevent vthe lamps that are deposited thereon the upper' end vof the vertical Figs. 1 and 2 of the 'drawioo on' from rolling from the belt as they are conveyed.

At a suitable distance beyond the point where the lamps are deposited on the belt,

I provide a division partition 74 which depends over the belt as'shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and immediately in front of this partition, I locate amechanical switchplate 75 which is so mounted that it may be `swung in a horizontal plane across -the conveyer belt 64 and direct a lamp that is moving toward'the switchinto either of the two channels 76 or 77 at opposite sides'of the' partition 74.

The` switch-plate 75, is arried on the ne' Y lower end of a vertical rod 8` which has a from one position to another rock-shaft 82 serves to hold the latter normally ina position that will keep the switchplate 75 swung over the entrance to channel 77 thus allowing good lamps'to enter the channel 76 and only move the switch to divert a defective lamp into channel 77.

In front of the vertical rock-shaft 82, I provide another vertical shaft 86 and this latter shaft carries a bevel gear 87, which meshes with and is driven'by a similar gear 88 on a horizontal shaft 89, which latter extends toward the central carrier shaft 12 and is driven by gears 90 and 91 from said carrier shaft, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A

On the vertical shaftl 86, I provide af rotary head 92, which, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 hasJ a plurality of radial arms 93. One of these arms'is illustrated on an enlarged scale in Fig. 5 of the 'drawings and articular attention is directed to that gure.

In the present instance, four arms -93 are shown and each of them carries a supporting bracket 94 to which a bell-crank shapedtrip-lever 95 is pivotally attached. One arm 96 of this lever normally extends horizontally VWhile the other arm 97 thereof extends upwardly and, in this instance, carries a roller 98 at its upper end.

A latcliing-pawl 99 is pivotally attached to the lever 95 and is so arranged as to en- 1 gage a notch 100, lon the bracket 94 when the lever is actuated so as to hold the arm 97 in substantially a vertical position to effect certain operations that will presently be explained.

A spring 101, or equivalent device, at-

tached to the lever 95, serves to return it to its `normal position immediately upon the release of the latching pawl 99 from engagement with the notch 100.

The rotary head 92, which carries the arms 93 and the bell crank levers 95, is revolved at a speed that will enable the four levers to cooperate with the twelve socketpl tes .21 on the lamp-carrier 18, and actuatio of those levers is effected electrically through a solenoid and the special contact plate 51 shown in Fig. 4, to which reference will now be made. f

By reference to Figs. 1, 4 .and 5 of the drawings, it will be noted that I make use of a solenoid 102, which has an armature 103 with a roller 104 on the outer free end thereof.

This solenoid is sustained so that the rol- 1er-end of the armature will project over the circular path through which the arms 96 of the bell-crank trip levers 95, travel. When the-armature 103 is held up by the upper magnet 105 of the solenoid, the arms 96 will pass beneath the same but when the armature .103 is drawn down by the lower f magnet 106, then the a-rm 96 next to arrive at the depressed armature will be depressed and the arm 97 of that leverthrown up, and held in the elevatedposition by the pawl 99 engaging the notch 100.

Theenergization therefore of the upper magnet 105 allows the trip levers to pass without actuation while the energization of lower magnet 106 will cause armature`1'03 to actuate the next trip lever, and the energization of one magnet and deenergiza'- tion of the other magnet is effected through the presence of a good lor a defective lamp at the socket clamp 4next behind that one which is then discharging or is about to dis charge a lam'p onto the conveyer-belt 64.

' By now referring to Fig.'4 of the drawings, it will be seen that I providev a s ecial stationary contact plate 51 to coact wit and be engaged' successively by the movable contact plates20 as the carrier turnsor'travfels.

From this stationary contact plate 51, there leadsa wire 52 which connects with the windings of an electro-magnet 107L that forms part of a relay and which controls an armature 108.

A wire 109 extends from the relay magnet to the upper magnet 105 of the solenoid 102 and from said upper solenoid magnet, there is a wire 110 which leads to and connects with the wire 50 of the current-supply.

uIn front of the relay armature 108 there is a stationary contact 111 from which a wire 112 leads to and connects with the windings of the lower solenoid magnet 106 and from said latter magnet, I provide another wire 113 which connects with the wire 1%0 and thus to wire50 of the current supp It will .be noted that armature 108 of the relay (in Fig. 4) is held by the magnet 107 away from the contact 111 and against the action of a spring 114 and that when los said magnet 107 becomes `deenergized the armature 108 will be drawn by said spring 114 until it engages contact 111 at which moment it will connect wire 112with a wire 115 which latter leads to and connects with wire 63 of the current-supply.

From the foregoing explanation, it will be understood that electrical connections are provided from one side of the currentsup tact 61; thenby movable arm 2 5, lever 26 and bracket 27 togwire 53; then through [will energize upper solenoid magnet 105,

Yso

and keep armature 103 elevated so the arms 96 of the trip levers will pass beneath the armature without being de ressed. v

On the other hand, if a amp is defective and the current will not pass therethrough, then when the wire connections 53 of that .lamp and its movable contact block 20 registers with the special stationary contact plate 51, `no current will pass through those contacts 20, 51 and wire 52 to the relay magnet 107, consequently that relay will become deenergized and its armature 108 will swing away anduengage contact point 111 thereby forming a` substitute circuit through the lower magnet 106 of the solenoid, as and for a purpose thatwillnow be explained.

When armature 108 closes with contact 111, a circuit will be formed from current supply line 63 by wire 115 to the armature, then through contact 111 to wire 112 and the lower magnet 106 of the solenoid thus energizing that magnet and pulling armature 103 down, and said circuit will be completed by Wires 113, 110 and 50 back to the current supply.

rlhe depression of the solenoid armature 103 with its roller 104 lowers the latter into the circular path through which the arms 96 of the trip levers travel so that the next arm 96, when passing beneath the lowered armature, will be depressed and held depressed by the pawl 99 thereof engaging the notch 100, thereby elevating the arm 97 f of said lever and holding the saine ele vated Iuntil it shall have performed its function. The timing'in the rotation of the carrier and the rotation of the arms 93 and trip levers 95 is such that while special contact 51 is in complete engagement with contact 20,/one of the trip-lever arms 96 will pass beneath the solenoid armature so that if that armature iis de ressed, the arm 26 ofthe trip lever thenpassing will also be depressed.

,f Those trip levers are provided so as to actuate the mechanical switch`75 over the conveyerbelt 64, and this latter switch is moved when one ofthe raised arms 97 of a trip levervengages the actuating arm 84..on the lower end of vertical shaft 82.

It is to be underStQQd that for each rotation of the carrier which holds and conveys the lamps to be tested, the head 92 and its ;arms93 which carry the trip-levers,will

make three revolutions'becaus'e thereare twelve 'lamp carriers and four trip levers.

, By now referring to the diagrammatic view of Fig. 4 in the drawings, it will be noted that seven lamps are held by the carrier at points, which for the purpose of clearness in explanation, I have deslgnated a, b, c, d, e, f and g, respectively.

The lamps at the points a, b, c and al, will, if good, be illuminated, at the pointe, the good lamps will continue to be illuminated but through a special contact 51` to wire 52 etc.

At .the through t e lamp and the same will not be illuminated.

At the point g, the good lamp will be freed by the clamping belt 54-58 and will thereupon be deposited onto the conveyer-belt 64, and carried of into the channel 74, for the good lamps. I'

A defective lamp may be discovered by its failure to illuminate. any of the points a, b, c, or d, but when it arrives at the oint e, as current is not passing through 1t, it acts as a switch so that current cannot pass (at point e) through wire 53 to contact 20, and then to the s ecial contact 51, consequently, the circult through the solenoid magnets will` be shifted from the upper magoint f, no circuit will be closed therefore net 105 to the lower magnet 106 and the4 solenoid armature 103 will be pulled down.

The timing of the head 92 on which the trip-levers are carried, is such that one trip lever arm 96 will at the moment the solenoid 'armature 103 is operated be beneath or just passing under that armature, and that trip-lever arm will be depressed so as to throw the arm 97 of the same trip-lever up and lock it up by its pawl 99.

Between this actuated trip-lever and the actuating arm 84 toward which it is moving,

there is another trip-lever but as this lever was not operated by the lamp shown at the point f, because that lamp was good, that goodlamp will be carried by the conveyerbelt 64y past he switch 75 because the trip lever for that lamp was not operated by said solenoid armature.

By the time the defective lamp reaches the conveyer switch 75 however, the triplever that was previousl operated and its arm 97 raised because o the defective conductor through that lamp, will have engaged the ,actuator arm 84 and rocked the shaft 82 and `will swing the switch 75 over the engrance to passage 76 and hold it there as th defective lam-p is directed into the passage 77 through such defective/lamps are carried, v

The length of the actuator arm 84 1s such that it will be held inthe actuated positionf by the traveling trip-army 97 until the defedtivejlamp has passedfinto the-passage 77 and' as the trip-arm movesfpast said arm 84,

the latterwill sw\in'gbacl{ to its normal position-because of the-spring 85 on shaft 82 A and thus restore the conveyer-switch to its l tested (the lamp in this instance) acts as a ing means to complete circuit connections to and from the moving article to test the switch for the relay 107 so that if the latter1 is energized when the contact 51 is engaged with any one of, the movable contacts 20, the trip lever will remain in its normal condition, but if the lamp is defective and circuit is opened between the contact 51 and one of the contacts 20, then the relay is deenergized and the solenoid is actuated to set a trip which will separate the defective lamp from the .good lamps. i

Having described my invention, I claim,-' 1. In a testing machine for electrically operated articles the combination with an endless carrier to convey the articles to be tested, a series of'devices along the carriereach having' two contact devices for engag-l ingthe two electric contacts of the said article, a series of movable contacts traveling with the carrier and each of the latter contacts having connection with one of the two contacts which engage the article to be tested, a contact with which the series of contacts successively engage and said latter contact being connected toa source of current whereby a circuit will be formed through the article when the one .contact engages any one of the series of contacts provided the article is electrically good and means coact` ing with said seies of-contacts in succession to separate the defective articles rom those which are good. 2. In a machine for testing electrically" o erated articles which havecontacts Jfor t e passage of vcurrent therethrough theocom;

bination with a carrier for the articleto be tested, of means moving with the carrier to engage the electric contacts to and from the article, means coacting with the latter movlatter while it is advancing, a conveyer to carry the tested articles oil' and means coacting'with the conveyer. and operated upon the failure of current to pass through the article under test to'separate the defective articles from the good ones on the conveyer.

3. In a machine for testing electrically operated articles that have contactsY Vfor completing a circuit therethrough the combination `with a circular carrier, 'ofv a circular series of contactsmovable with the carrier,

a series of holders for the .articles ,tof bev tested and eachcholdin'g'cdevi havingdethe combination with an electrical testing vices to engage the two contacts of the article, a stationary contact to engage the circular series of contacts traveling with the carrier and the articles under test to close the connectionsto and from the carrier,'a conveyer to carry the tested articles from the carrier, a mechanical switch in the conveyer, and means actuated by the failure of current to pass through the article for controlling the conveyer switch to separate the defective from the good articles.

4. A machine for testing electrical devices, each device having a plurality of contacts for the passage of electrical energy therethrough, comprising an electrical testing circuit, a conveyor for supporting a plurality of said devices, means movable with said conveyor for electrically connecting the contacts of said devices with said testingcircuit, and means for separatin devices through which electrical energy ows from devices through which electrical energy will not flow.

5. A machine for testing electrical devices, each device having a plurality of contacts for the passage of electrical energy therethrough, comprising an electrical testing circuit, a conveyor for supporting a plural- 'plurality of said devices, electrical connections for each of said devices for connecting said devices 'as temporary portions of sai electrical circuit to permit a low of electrical energy through said devices and means for separatingdevices through which electrical energy flows from devices fthrough which said energyy does not flow.

7. In a machine for testing electric lamps circuit, a conveyor, means on said conveyor for receiving the base portions of said lamps, electrical connections for each of said lamps movable with said conveyor, means for moving said conveyor to; successively connect said lamps vwith said testing circuit for a flow of electrical energy through said lamps, and means for separating lamps through which electrical energy' flows from( lamps' through which electrical energy does not flow. 1

8.' In a machine for testing electrical vacuum devices having base portions the combinatlon with 'a conveyor, an electrical test-'-Y ing circuit, electrical connections for each o-said devices movable with said conireyo'r 130 for electrically -connecting said devices with said circuit upon a movement of said conveyor, electrically controlled mechanism operable upon a variation n the degree of the flow of current through said devices for separating into groups devices passing a given amount of electrical energy.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

ANATOLI C. SELETZKY. 

